October 10, 2018
Sleazy tactics
Q: Do you wish your annual sales numbers were higher?
Probably, yes. Most people would love higher sales numbers.
Q: Are you taking steps to become a better salesperson?
Probably, no. Most freelancers and consultants are allergic to the idea of “being sales-y”.
Do you see a problem here? You want better sales numbers without getting better at sales. This is a problem.
But I get it. You would rather go back to a full-time job than try to trick people into buying things they don’t need using sleazy tactics.
But guess what?
Tricking people into buying things that they don’t need using sleazy tactics is a sales anti-pattern. That’s bad sales. Nobody wants you to do that.
But if you want to do something to increase your sales numbers, you DO have to take steps to become a better salesperson.
What if there was a “good way” to do sales? What if it was the exact opposite of sleazy? Would you be willing get better at doing sales if it aligned with your moral compass? Would you be willing to work on your sales skills if it felt ethical and empathetic and compassionate?
If your answer is still no, you might want to start thinking about going back to a full-time job. You can’t not do sales and expect to have a viable business. There’s just no way around it.
Yours,
—J